Why Is My TV Screen Darker Than Normal When Playing XBOX Series X?
The main reason your TV Screen is darker than normal when playing XBOX Series X is HDR display, third-party apps, or power-saving mode.
Table of Contents
Causes:
- HDR Display
- Third-Party Apps
- Power Saving Mode
HDR Display
Your TV Screen may appear darker than normal when it displays a video or, in this case, an XBOX game in HDR. HDR is a high dynamic range that displays a higher resolution image.
HDR display can appear darker when screens cannot display the vibrancy and depth of the image, resulting in an overall dimmer or darker display.
This can occur when playing on XBOX Series X because its games are often formatted to display in HDR, which your screen may not be compatible with.
Third-Party Apps
Sometimes interference from third-party apps may hinder the quality of your screen’s display. In this case, your XBOX Series X screen may appear darker.
This is because some third-party applications may hinder the appearance of games to make up for their shortcomings.
Third-party apps that use sensors to detect movement or light might be the main culprits in this case.
Power Saving Mode
It’s no secret that gaming consoles can consume much power with advanced graphics games and large game files; your TV screen may compensate for that by entering power-saving mode.
Many features are disabled when devices enter into power saving mode, which may also dim your screen to make for the power used by your XBOX Series X.
How To Fix Dark Screen On XBOX Series X?
To fix a dark screen on XBOX Series X, you can adjust screen settings, delete/disable third-party applications or turn off power saving mode.
Adjust Screen Settings
You can adjust the HDR display on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console. You may accomplish this by taking the following steps:
- On your Xbox Series controller, press the Xbox button. If you can’t find it, the button should display the Xbox logo and be illuminated
- Press the RB button many times in the pop-up Guide menu until you reach the “Profile & system” item
- Select Settings from the “Profile & system” menu
- To begin, go to the Settings menu and pick General from the categories on the left column
- Then, on the right side of the same menu, pick “TV & display choices”
- Then click the “Calibrate HDR for games” button
- Follow the on-screen instructions on the first page of the HDR Game Calibration menu to set your TV to game mode and eliminate any sharpening settings. When you’re through with the preparations, click Next to proceed
- Adjust the picture on the Minimum Luminance page until you can hardly see the checkerboard pattern. When you’re finished, click Next to proceed
- Adjust the picture on the first Maximum Luminance page until all the squares in the image are the same. You may then proceed by selecting Next
- On the second Maximum Luminance page, adjust the image’s brightness until all squares are the same. To finish calibrating, select Next and then Done
Delete/Disable Third-Party Apps
The dimming problem may occur if a program on your system is interfering with the operation of the OS’s gaming or display modules.
Clean booting your XBOX Series X and removing/disabling the offending software using the following steps may help to resolve the dimming issue:
- Restart your computer to see whether the dimming problem has been resolved
- If this is the case, you should reactivate the services/processes/applications that the system deactivated during the clean boot procedure until you discover the malfunctioning one
- Once identified, deactivate the offending program in the system’s starting settings or uninstall it from Apps and Features
- If you cannot deactivate or eliminate the process, you may terminate it during gaming by using the Task Manager
Turn Off Power Saving Mode
Some TV Sets come with a power-saving mode that automatically gets activated when devices such as the XBOX Series X are being used, which results in a darker display.
You can resolve this issue by turning off Power Saving Mode on your TV Screen using the following steps:
- On your remote, press the Home button
- Navigate to and choose Settings from the Home screen
- Choose General
- Choose Power Saving
- To turn it off, choose Power Saving Mode and then OFF
Why Is HDR Too Dark On XBOX Series X?
The reason why HDR is too dark on XBOX Series X is because your screen may not be compatible with the HDR graphics of the games.
It’s also possible that your game on your XBOX Series X isn’t correctly calibrated for HDR display.
How to Fix a Dark HDR Screen While Playing XBOX Series X?
To fix the dark HDR screen while playing XBOX Series X, you can disable HDR features for a better and more compatible resolution.
If your TV Screen is SDR compatible and not HDR compatible, then the graphics of the XBOX Series X will appear dimmer, duller, and darker. You may disable these HDR features by doing the following steps:
- Open the Guide menu by pressing the Xbox button on your gamepad
- Click the RB button until you reach the “Profile & system” tab and choose Settings
- After you’ve reached Settings, choose General from the left column, followed by “TV & display choices” on the right side of the same page
- Select “Video modes” from the “General – TV & display choices” menu
- If you wish to disable Dolby Vision, uncheck the option next to “Dolby Vision for Gaming” in the “General – Video modes” menu
- If you want to disable Auto HDR, ensure that the box next to it is unchecked
How To Fix Dark HDR Screen While Playing XBOX Series S?
You will need to swap out your HDMI cable to fix the dark HDR screen while playing XBOX Series S.
You can use the following steps to see if the HDMI cable is causing the issue so you can swap it out asap for a better gaming experience.
- For 10 seconds, press and hold the power button on your Xbox Series S console
- Unplug the power cable after your console has been turned off
- Wait 5 minutes before plugging in your console
- Turn on your console and check to see if the problem persists
- If your screen remains dim, try an alternative HDMI cable if feasible
- You may also try connecting your HDMI cord to another HDMI port on your TV
How To Fix Dark HDR Screen While Playing XBOX Series X?
To fix the Dark HDR Screen while playing XBOX Series X, you can adjust the game’s visual settings without exiting it.
Most XBOX Series X compatible games will allow you to change the graphic settings from within the game, and you may do the following:
- Press the menu option to bring up the pause menu and then pick Settings
- Tap RB multiple times in Settings until you reach Video
- To access Screen Calibration, hit the Y button on the Video tab
- You may modify the HDR and brightness levels on the Screen Calibration screen
Why Do The Colors Look Washed Out On Xbox Series X??
The main reason colors may look washed out on XBOX Series X is Dolby Vision.
If you use Dolby Vision, it is recommended that you turn it off unless you are playing a game that fully supports it.
How To Stop XBOX Series X Dimming The Screen While Inactive?
To stop XBOX Series X from dimming the screen when inactive, you can try the old restarting method but with a twist.
- Press the power button on the front of the Xbox for at least 10 seconds to turn it off fully
- Then restart it as usual, and the program should function normally
- The standard “turn off” or “restart” of the console through the remote or a rapid power button push did not resolve the issue
How Do I Adjust Brightness Settings OnXBOX Series X?
To adjust the brightness settings on XBOX Series X, you can use the left joystick or arrow keys to set brightness to your liking.
You can use the following steps to do so:
- To increase the Brightness of your Xbox, first hit the Xbox button to bring up the console’s dashboard
- Then, using the left joystick, scroll to and pick the Settings cog
- Then, using the right joystick or arrow buttons, pick Display & Sound, followed by brightness
- Finally, adjust the brightness with the left joystick or the arrow keys to your liking
Best Brightness Settings OnXBOX Series X
The best brightness settings on XBOX Series X may vary from game to game or app to app, but it is recommended that you adjust them manually.
- Picture settings on HDR TVs regulate the maximum HDR Brightness. These options are sometimes referred to as backlight, OLED light, peak brightness, etc
- To get the most out of your HDR TV, we recommend increasing the HDR Brightness to the maximum in the picture settings
- Some televisions include a light sensor to automatically change brightness based on the amount of light in your viewing environment
- The picture settings that regulate this function are sometimes called light sensors, ambient light detection, and so on
- It would be best to deactivate automatic brightness adjustments to achieve consistent maximum TV brightness